What is the Proof of Singlehood?
A person who wants to go to a foreign country does not only need a marriage certificate but also a single status certificate. In case an individual is single then some countries ask for proof and affidavit of single status that clarifies the status of the person in case he/she is not married to someone. There are countries that ask for evidence of singlehood when you are planning to get married to a foreigner such as Europe, South America, the US, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, and many more.
Define Single Status Affidavit
A single Status Affidavit is an important document to get married in a foreign country. The document clarifies that the person is not married to anyone till this date and time. The country where the person is born, or a citizen of makes the affidavit of single status so that the foreign country where the person is traveling or where a person is getting married to a foreigner comes to know about the singlehood/bachelorhood status even after a widowed or divorce.
Read more about single status certificates here.
What documents are required to get the Affidavit of Single Status
There are a few documents needed to get this certificate of Single Status:
- “Original Singlehood/Bachelorhood Affidavit” (that states the person is single and not bound to any marital relation)
- Valid address proof is needed for that “passport copy” (front and last page) or “Aadhar card copy” to submit.
- “School Certificate” or “Birth Certificate”, is required to know the date of birth of the applicant.
- A “letter from parents” is needed where they state that their child is single and a photocopy of their (parents) Aadhar card is to be attached.
- “Original Death Certificate of the partner” in case the applicant is widowed.
- If the person has taken divorce then “original divorce documents” are required.
When a single status affidavit is needed
There are some cases when the countries ask for a single status affidavit. Let’s see:
- In foreign countries when a person is getting married to a foreigner
- Some countries also demand a single status affidavit for an employment visa.
- If a person is widowed and planning to get married to a foreigner abroad (In this single status affidavit and death certificate apostille both are needed)
- A person who wants to get married again to a foreigner after divorce (In this case both single status affidavit and divorcee decree apostille are required)
Details of a Single Status Affidavit
Single Status Affidavit is a written oath that a person takes and confirms that he/she is not married to anyone at this particular date, time, and place and also tells whether he/she is divorced or widowed.
Details that are added in the Single Status Affidavit:
- Certificate No: A unique number is added
- Certificate issued Date: 00/00/0000 date and time are added
- Account Reference: ALPHA CODE
- Unique Doc. Reference: ALPHANUMERIC
- Purchased by: NAME
- Description of Document: ARTICLE 4 AFFIDAVIT
- Description: AFFIDAVIT
- Consideration Price (Rs.): ZERO
- First Party: NAME OF PERSON
- Second Party: N/A
- Stamp Duty Paid By: NAME OF PERSON
- Stamp Duty Amount (Rs.): AMOUNT
To check the complete affidavit: Click Here
The time duration that is taken to get the affidavit of single status
As getting an affidavit of single status is a lengthy process and consists of many steps. The time duration varies from around 7-12 days depending on the upper authorities, type of document, and also the number of documents. The time may also exceed in case of any uncertainty. To get the process done reliably and less time-consuming, choose the best “Apostille” service.
What is the validity of an attested document?
Every document comes with validity and in the same way, the attested document is also valid for 6 months in most cases. However, many countries accept the attested document that is more than a year older. So, the actual validity of the document varies from country to country and depends on the country where the document is to be sent/presented.
Complete Process
There is a certain process that needs to be followed to get the document attested. To check the short explanation, check the website for the apostille Process. See the detailed process below
- Notary Attestation: Firstly, the document is to be taken from the notary. Then, all the necessary and mandatory details are added to the document. Then the affidavit declares the applicant is single on this particular date, and the time and the place are attested by either of the two authorities that is State Home Department or Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM). So, there are two cases that are better explained below.
- State Home Department or Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM): Once the affidavit is attested by any of the authorities the document is further sent to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
- Ministry of External Affairs (MEA): If the document is to be submitted to a Hague Nation then this is the last step to get the document attested but if the country is not a not part of the Hague nation then Embassy Attestation is required.
- Embassy Attestation: This is the last step where the document is finally attested in case the country is not a member of the Hague nation. In this step, the document is legalized and considered true and genuine by the authority.
Which is Better (State Home Department or Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM)?
If the applicant is planning to go to Hague nation then it is better to choose SDM as it takes less time. State Attestation is a lengthy process and usually takes 3-4 weeks(working) so choose the process that will save your time. Some Hague countries ask for state attestation so for them a person has to go for state attestation only.
Safety
As all the documents are original so choose the Apostile service that takes care of your document as at this stage a person cannot afford to misplace the documents. Do not go for cheap services as your time, money, and documents all are precious. Choose wisely the best and genuine service that guides you properly.
